The Magic Show (SasuSakuNaruHina)
by TheFemaleReviewer
Summary: Come One, Come All, to the Sage of the Six Paths Perfect Magic Show! In this special little oneshot, Naruto and Sasuke are double dating at a magic show. But Sasuke just can't seem to get the attention of a girl he always ignored. And Naruto's still chasing after his childhood crush. Will these amateur love-birds EVER get a clue? Find out by checking it out! (SasuSaku/NaruHina)


The Magic Show

"Hey, I'm home." He said before tossing his chunin vest to the floor and kicking his shoes off haphazardly.

The other boy, a more pointed one, rolled his eyes.

"Every day you do the same thing." He groaned before walking over and hanging his vest on a hook. "All you do is make messes and wait for me to clean them up."

"Yeah, well, I figured if I didn't give you something to complain about you'd probably just rot, so..." he replied before dropping down into a chair and putting his feet up on the table.

After the other boy nudged his shoes into line, he glared at the first boy.

"Why are you feet up on the table?"

The first boy shook his head vigorously making his blonde hair whip around in circles.

"Ugh, fine!" he pulled his feet down from the table and opted for lounging in the couch instead. "You're more of a pain in the ass than usual, today, Sasuke, what's up?"

Sasuke leaned up against the door frame and said nothing.

"I'm Naruto, remember? You can tell me." He said batting his eyelashes comically.

"'Tch." Sasuke muttered. "It's nothing."

"Did you get fired?"

"No."

"Demoted?"

"No."

"Is it me? Are you seriously getting tired of my personality?" asked Naruto.

Sasuke stared out of the window, eyes glazing slightly.

"Baby, I promise, I can change!" Naruto exclaimed, pretending to get down on his knees and beg.

Sasuke snapped back to attention and sighed.

"No, it's not you!" he said. "Why the hell would it be _you_?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe because every day since we became roommates you can help but complain every time I walk in the room." Naruto said, grabbing an apple from the basket next to the couch.

Sasuke's usual frown tilted into a quick smile.

"Am I making you feel unwelcome?" he sneered.

Naruto tossed his apple from one hand to the other and said nothing. Sasuke's eyes slowly glazed over again as they settled upon the window.

"You're not the only one feeling unwelcome by my presence...Sakura..."

Suddenly, Naruto looked up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait..." he said, straightening up. "This is about Sakura?"

Sasuke didn't look at him.

"She's been avoiding me."

Naruto smirked.

"Hey, man, I'd avoid you too if you tried to kill me on multiple occasions."

Sasuke squinted at him.

"I _did_ try to kill you on multiple occasions...the final valley, Orochimaru's hideout...the land of iron..." he recounted.

"Oh yeah..." Naruto recalled.

"Idiot." Sasuke muttered.

Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other...then suddenly started laughing. To them, it felt like eons had passed since they were enemies. Sasuke came over and found a spot next to Naruto on the couch. Naruto stretched out and placed his feet on the coffee table. Sasuke's eye twitched but he said nothing.

"I don't know why you're stressing it." Naruto said. "I mean, you guys haven't been in walking distance from each other in years now. She probably just doesn't know what to say."

Sasuke said nothing.

"I mean, it's not like she doesn't like you. She loves you. She's crazy about you."

Naruto looked down at the apple in his hand.

"All the time you were gone...all she could talk about, all she could think about...was you." He said, squeezing it.

Sasuke stared at Naruto and then looked away.

"You." He began. "You...thought of Sakura too in that way...when we were children."

Naruto sighed.

"When I was a kid, yeah." He said, tossing the apple up. "But I had to grow up. Sakura never thought of me that way at all. It was always you, right? So...she deserves to have what she wants."

"And...what do _you_ want?"

Naruto was quiet for a moment.

"I just want you guys to be happy." He said looking Sasuke fully in the eyes.

"Hmm." Sasuke said, a smile slowly creeping onto his face. "You really have grown up haven't you?"

He ruffled Naruto's hair prompting Naruto to smack his hand away roughly. A bit more roughly than normal.

"Stop gloating or I might change my mind." Said Naruto looking away from him.

Sasuke frowned and the room filled with silence. Sasuke understood the kind of presence he had in Naruto's life. Forever being like a "perfect big brother" quite like his elder brother Itachi was to him. Someone forever overshadowing him. How must it feel to have to give up the girl of your dreams to your closest rival?

Sasuke grabbed a random flier off of the table and read it to pass the awkward silence.

"The Sage of the Six Path's Perfect Magic Show?" he muttered.

Naruto nodded.

"Yeah, Hinata gave that to me. She was saying something about how much she likes magic. He's this famous traveling magician who's coming to Konoha for the first time." Naruto mused. "You wanna go with me?"

Sasuke read the rest of the note:

_Dying to know how that special person feels about you? Or maybe you just can't find the right setting to confess your love? This is no issue for the Sage of Six Paths magician! Invite your significant other to this show and prepare to be embraced by the magical wings of love! This is a Special Couples Only show._

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"This sounds absolutely ridiculous!" Sasuke exclaimed. "I wouldn't be caught _dead_ here."

Naruto shrugged.

"I wasn't really serious about going." He muttered.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Sasuke got up to answer it while Naruto took the first bite out of the apple. He pulled the door open and came face to face with the topic of conversation.

"Hey, Naruto, you left your weapons pouch with Sai last mission, he asked me to-"

Sakura stopped talking realizing who was standing at the door. She had been reading a flier which was the reason why she didn't notice it was Sasuke before. Sasuke wasn't even supposed to be home at that time so she had no reason to think it was him anyway. Shikamaru let all the ninja that worked in the Tactical Operations Unit go home early that day.

Naruto slowly walked over and grabbed the pouch from her hand.

"Thanks." He said.

She didn't even notice. They just stared at each other. Finally, Sasuke looked down at the flier in her hand...it matched the one in his hand.

"So, you...like magic?" he asked.

She looked down at the flier and then shrugged.

"Uh...I guess. I...was actually thinking of maybe going to this."

"How interesting...Naruto and I were just talking about going, too." Sasuke said.

"Wait, we were?" Naruto asked, pushing his head under Sasuke's arm.

"Maybe you'd like to come with us." Sasuke said, completely ignoring him.

Sakura stared at him wearily for a second and then she shrugged.

"Sure, why not." She said. "See you tomorrow night."

Sasuke waved as she walked away.

"I can't believe you did that!" Naruto said.

Sasuke wasn't paying any attention to him at all. He was half-leaning out of the doorway watching her as she walked away.

Naruto grabbed his shoulder, pulled him back inside and slammed the door shut.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked rolling his eyes. "You're the one that asked me to go! So, I'm going! Stop bugging me."

He pushed Naruto out of the way and walked toward his bedroom.

"You KNOW this is different!" Naruto protested, following him. "At first it was just a friend thing, just you and me hanging out. Now it's gonna be you on a date and me as the stupid third wheel!"

Sasuke scoffed.

"Then invite a girl!" he retorted.

"What?! On such short notice?" he asked.

Sasuke turned to face him.

"Look, you're going." Sasuke said seriously. "Find a girl to bring or come by yourself either way, you're coming with me."

Naruto smirked.

"What is it? Brave little Sasuke-kun is suddenly afraid of a little date?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and slammed his door in Naruto's face. Naruto groaned.

"Come on, man! Who the hell am I going to invite?"

"I don't know!" Sasuke yelled from behind the closed door. "Ino?"

"I don't even like Ino!" Naruto exclaimed. "She's annoying!"

"You're on your own then." He said.

Naruto sighed and turned around. He glanced at the crumpled flier on the floor and slowly picked it up.

"This is stupid..." He muttered, but he walked toward the front door anyway and slipped his shoes on.

"Fine!" he shouted. "I'm going to find someone!"

Naruto

Double Date

"What am I going to do, Kakashi?" I asked.

Kakashi and Iruka were probably talking about strategies or battle tactics or something more work-related before I walked by looking bummed out and they decided to approach me. I told them the problem and they laughed at me like I was a little kid.

"I'm still surprised the ultra-confident Sasuke was worried about asking Sakura out." Iruka said.

It was the day of the magic show. I spent the rest of the previous day sulking and training instead of actually looking for someone. I just told that to Sasuke as an excuse to leave the house. When I came back with no one, he smirked and said: "Get used to being the third wheel."

_That guy is such an asshole... I'm not going to be alone with him and Sakura. There's no way I'm going to let myself be in that situation!_

"I need an idea, please!" I said to them.

"My how the times have fallen." Kakashi remarked. "Remember when we were kids, and no one cared about dating because we were too busy fighting a war?"

Iruka crossed his arms and stared off to space as though reliving a good memory.

"Yeah, weren't those the days?"

"Guys, seriously." I complained.

A random idea flitted across my mind and like normally, I blurted it out before thinking.

"Why don't one of you guys come with me and make it a friend thing?" I asked hopefully.

Iruka's mouth dropped open and Kakashi sighed.

"Clearly, you're slower than we gave you credit for." Kakashi muttered.

"Seriously, Naruto, do you know how ridiculous you're going to look showing up to that thing with a thirty year old man?"

I slapped my face with my palm, visualizing my idea taking place.

_Yeah...that's _REALLY_ bad..._

"Okay, okay, okay." I said shaking the thought of my head. "Then help me!"

Iruka sensei pointed at some chunin girls who were standing around the bench whispering to each other and giggling.

"Those girls seem to like you. They've been standing there for quite a while." he told me.

Kakashi laughed.

"It honestly shouldn't be hard for you to find a date at all, Naruto. As the village hero, shouldn't _every_ girl be dying to get a hold of you?"

I looked at them and waved.

"Oh my god, he waved at me!" one of them screamed.

"No, you idiot! He waved at ME!" another screamed.

Suddenly, it turned into a gigantic squealing match and they all began arguing. I shook my head.

"No, thanks." I said. "I think I'd rather be with a girl who I know."

"Why don't you just go with Ino?" Kakashi asked.

"Why does everyone keep saying Ino?" I exclaimed. "She'd DIE before she'd go to something like that with me!"

"Maybe if you explained the situation to her..." Iruka said.

"Yeah? So she can laugh at me just like you guys did? I think I'll pass."

I turned away from them and started walking.

_Like they were really going to help me... Stupid idea in the first place..._

I found myself walking near the lake where the magic show was setting up a huge tent for the show that night. I was about to keep walking on when I spotted a girl sitting on the hill a bit lower from where I stood. She was watching the magic show set up also and she looked incredibly familiar. Just out of curiosity, I got closer and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and looked at me, surprise splashing across her face.

"Naruto?!"

"Hey, Hinata."

She smiled.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" she asked. "The show doesn't start for another three hours."

I sat down next to her.

_No way am I going to tell her about my problem. She'd probably laugh at me, too._

"Nothing, just walking."

_Though, she's never laughed at me before..._

"Is something bothering you?"

I sighed and found myself opening my mouth and spilling everything that happened.

"And now I have to go to this lame magic show with Sasuke who's on this stupid date with Sakura and I don't even want to!" I finished.

Hinata listened patiently the entire time and didn't even interrupt once.

"Well...Naruto...could it be that you're upset about going because...maybe, you still think of Sakura...as more than a friend?"

I leaned onto my back and put my hands behind my head. It was sunset. The sun was shining on the water prettily making it shimmer. Hinata looked down at me, waiting for my answer.

I sighed.

"Of course not." I said. "I accepted that Sakura's just a friend to me a long time ago."

I picked a leaf out of Hinata's hair and held it against the sky.

"It's just going to be awkward." I said. "Even though I accepted it...it doesn't mean..."

"Doesn't mean that it still doesn't hurt you, right?" she asked.

I dropped the leaf and cocked my head.

"Right." I said, staring at her.

She looked into the grass, holding her knees to her chest.

"Have you ever been in a problem like this?" I asked her.

She smiled softly and nodded.

"Yeah...there's...a boy I like but...the problem is that, he's so worried about another girl...he doesn't even notice me. Even when I'm sitting right next to him." She confessed.

I smiled at her brightly and sat up.

"That sounds just like my problem with Sakura!" I said.

She turned to me and nodded. For a second, it seemed like she was going to say something, but then she didn't.

"Maybe you should do what I did...maybe you should just forget about him." I told her.

She nodded slowly.

"Maybe I should." She said.

As I watched her pick the grass as a question crossed my mind.

"What were you doing sitting all the way out here, anyway?" I asked her.

"Sometimes, I come around here to think." She said shrugging.

I cocked my head with interest.

"Whacha thinkin' about?" I asked her.

"Well...ever since the end of the war...when Neji died...my father's been thinking of moving to a smaller village near the land of the waves where some of our other cousins live. I think...it's been really hard for him...to accept what happened."

I clutched the grass in my hand.

_Neji..._

"He's taking my younger sister, Hannabi, with him. Because I'm older, I have a choice...so...I was wondering whether or not I should go." She said.

"That's a tough choice." I said to her. "When is he leaving?"

"Tomorrow night, after the carnival." She said.

_I shouldn't tell her what decision to make... Though... I can't help but feel like...this world would be...a lot different without her._

I watched as the sunset light shinned brightly off of her black hair. It had a sort of purple-ish hue.

_Different in a bad way. Like...colder...and darker..._

My hand twitched and I absentmindedly reached for her hair.

_Wait...what am I doing? She's just my friend._

I smoothly brought my hand back behind my head and shrugged.

"You should do..." I finally told her. "Whatever makes you happy, I guess."

I watched as they set up more things around the magic show.

"What else are they putting up over there?" I asked her.

She looked up.

"Well, it looks like they're setting up stands for food and games."

"Games?"

"Yeah, have you ever been to a carnival?" she asked me. "You can play games and win prizes like plush shuriken toys and cotton kunai knives and things like that."

I'd never been to a carnival...or any kind of party for that matter. It all looked completely new to me. Suddenly, I was beginning to want to go to the show after all.

"And that's a photo booth." She said. "You get inside with another person and you can take pictures."

Then she pointed to something else.

"And it looks like they're building a Ferris wheel." She said.

"A what?"

"It's a type of ride, you know, like rides they build at parks around the outskirts of the Land of Fire."

"I've never heard of any of this stuff before!" I told her.

"Well, this is the first time they're coming here, so I bet it's new to a lot of people." She said. "I only know about it because my personal trainer used to take me and my younger sister on vacations outside of Konoha."

I whistled_. _

_Vacations? Yeah, that's right...Hinata's basically royalty. Not street trash like me._

But the more I watched them set up, the more excited I got.

"I thought this was all stupid before but now I change my mind. I've gotta go to this, Hinata." I said, then I grinned at her. "And I think you'd be the perfect girl to come with me!"

She was smiling but when I said that, her smile faded and she started blushing vibrantly.

_Uh oh...hopefully, I'm not making her feel uncomfortable... Maybe I should tell her it's just as friends._

"But...like...not as a date, though!" I said. "You know, just...as friends."

She stopped blushing and turned away from me. I saw her lips pull back into a soft smile as she stared out at the shimmering water.

"I'd be happy to go with you, Naruto." She said, keeping her eyes on the water.

Sakura

Just a 'Team 7' thing.

"I think you're underestimating him, Sakura." Ino said as she stood in front of my closet, trying on my blouses.

"I mean, he actually came out and invited you, right?" she asked.

"Yes but that doesn't mean he likes me now." I told her. "You're always jumping to conclusions."

"How is this jumping to conclusions?" she asked.

"Because he said he and Naruto were already thinking about going!" I said. "He just invited me because I showed up right at that time and I'm a part of the team."

"I doubt it. He probably just used Naruto as an excuse." Ino said. "I mean, when does Sasuke ever do something just because?"

_She's right. Naruto would be the one to invite me somewhere for no reason. Sasuke usually wouldn't even mention something like that... And the way he said it... _

"_So, you...like magic, huh?"_

_When has ever even taken notice to something like that about me before?_

"Okay, so how do I look?" she asked me.

She had pulled my light blue blouse on and matched it with her own skin-tight black skirt. She pulled her hair down from its usual ponytail and styled it into a long, wavy blonde sea that cascaded down her back.

_Incredibly beautiful..._

"Fine." I responded.

She frowned.

"_Just_ fine?" she asked.

_No...you look amazing._

I shrugged.

"Yeah...you look fine." I told her.

She turned around and twirled in front of the mirror.

I bent my head feeling slightly guilty. Ino was so pretty and confident and outgoing... And I was just me. Just...regular, useless Sakura. Deep inside, I'd always felt like Ino deserved all the wonderful things in life... And that included Sasuke. Doesn't the pretty girl _always_ get the hot guy?

"Okay, then. I'm going to leave now." She said. "Sai told me to meet him at a specific place."

In some crazy, unpredictable fluke of nature, Ino had begun to take an interest in Sai... Sai...the guy who just learned how to smile like three weeks ago. Every time I imagined them together I couldn't help but snicker. But Sai was becoming more and more normal by the day. By that time, he was a lot more like a Sasuke replica...except the constant expression of annoyance was replaced with a comfortable smile. It was unbelievable how much I had hated him at first...

"I have no idea what it's for." She said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I hope it's romantic!"

"He's probably just going to crack some inappropriate joke about how big his junk is."

Sai's humor had also blossomed dramatically...

Ino rolled her eyes.

"Can't you just be happy for me?" she asked. "I'm happy for you even though you're going with Sasuke!"

"Honestly, Ino, if you want him, you can have him." I said, raising my arms in surrender.

She squinted at me.

"I don't know what the hell is up with you lately." She said. "You've finally gotten the boy of your dreams and you're just so...blah about it."

I faked a smile.

"Would you be happier if I were running around gloating and hanging banners?"

She giggled.

"I guess you're right...it's better like this."

She grabbed her purse off my door handle.

"See you there!" she said, then she lowered her voice. "You better tell me ALL the details."

I lay back on my bed and stare up at the ceiling as she closed my bedroom door behind her.

Ino and I had already picked out my outfit. We'd both decided on wearing colors that matched our eyes. So, she went with a soft baby blue and I was going with a light sea-foam green.

_There's no way that he likes me... Not after all this time. There's no way in hell._

I stood up and straightened my clothes out, nodding with confidence.

_It's just a team 7 thing. I wouldn't be surprised if Naruto invites Kakashi, too. It's nothing different at all._

I held a green head band in my right hand and a white one in my left hand and stared, trying to decide between them. I ultimately decided on the white one.

_Besides, if it was a real date, he wouldn't invite me to a magic show. I hate magic..._

Sasuke

Ms. Play it Cool

"'Tch." I muttered. "I _hate_ magic. This is going to be a long night."

Naruto smirked at me.

"I thought magic would be the LAST thing you'd be looking at in there." He said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Please keep all that stupidity to a minimum when she gets here."

"As if I've ever kept anything to a minimum before."

"Shut-up, there she is." I said.

Naruto scoffed. I only saw the top of her head at first but then she moved through the crowd and I could see her fully. She wore a light green sleeveless shirt with a ruffled white skirt. It wasn't really the outfit...or the way she had that white hair tie making her pink hair fall in two perfect swoops around her face. It was more about the way she walked. The way she smiled at me and waved. The...little things.

"Hey, Sakura." Naruto and I said at the same time.

I looked at Naruto and rolled my eyes. His jaw was practically hitting the ground.

"Hi, Naruto." Said another voice.

I turned around. Neither of us noticed Hinata slowly come up to us on our left. She was dressed incredibly nicely, in a lavender sleeveless shirt that extended into a pair of tight fitting shorts. Naruto didn't even look at her.

"Hey." He said disinterestedly.

I saw her eyes flit between him and Sakura and then she looked down.

"We should probably get going, the show's going to start any minute now." I said, taking the first step forward.

When we got to the outside of the tent a man with strange hat was selling tickets. Sakura pulled her purpose open to pay but I grabbed her arm.

"Don't worry about it, I'll pay for you." I told her.

I noticed Naruto reaching for her, probably planning to say the same thing. He quickly retracted his hand and interlocked his fingers behind his head. I paid for the both of us and Naruto paid for himself leaving Hinata to pay for herself.

We entered the tent which seemed to be a lot larger on the inside than it was on the outside.

"Hey, Sakura! Over here!"

We all looked over to see Ino sitting with Sai on a row near the far back of the tent waving at us.

"Hey!" she said, face breaking out into a smile.

She ran over to her without even beckoning us to follow. She took the open seat next to Ino, I sat next to her, Naruto sat on my other side and Hinata sat on his other side.

"So, I hear this guy can make _anyone_ fall in love." Ino said giving Sakura a knowing look.

But instead of Sakura, Naruto and Hinata were the ones who responded.

"Really?" they asked.

Ino nodded vigorously.

"It supposed to be some new kind of jutsu." Sakura explained. "I read some extra pamphlets on it earlier."

I scoffed.

"Yeah, right." I muttered to Naruto. "It's probably just a genjutsu, anyone can do that."

"Did you say something, Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

I straightened up.

"Nope."

"He said-"

I elbowed Naruto roughly as I smiled at her. She looked at us strangely and turned back to Ino.

"What'd you do that for?"

"Didn't I tell you to keep your voice to a minimum tonight?" I asked him.

He crossed his arms and scrunched down in his seat.

"Whatever, this already feels boring."

I glanced over at Hinata who was quietly staring into her hands.

"Why don't you strike up a conversation with your date?"

"We're just here as friends." Naruto mumbled.

Hearing him, Hinata seemed to sigh deeply.

_Something tells me she wishes they were more than friends..._

"Sasuke?"

I turned to Sakura.

"What?"

"The show is starting."

_No time to think about that now though. You're on your own, Naruto..._

"Welcome all! To the greatest magic show in the Land of the Fire!"

Everyone quieted down and quickly filed into their seats. We were a long way away from the stage. The tent was extremely large. It could probably fit a hundred people and it seemed to be all full.

The entire tent went pitch black suddenly. Sakura jumped and grabbed my hand. Naruto sat up next to me.

"What the heck?"

I didn't even notice him. I was paying more attention to Sakura grasping my hand so tightly.

Suddenly, she pulled her hand away.

"Sorry." I heard her mutter.

I wanted to tell her it was alright, that she could hold onto me if she wanted but then a light shone down onto the stage and a man in a long cape entered the light. His eyes were large and purple, like he had the rinnegan, and he held a staff in his hand...quite like the real sage of the six paths held in all the depictions of him.

"I am the sage!" he declared.

Naruto yawned loudly. Sakura reached across my lap and punched him in the leg.

"Ow!" he groaned.

"And for my first little piece of magic! I'll prove to you that I know exactly who lies in each one of your hearts!"

"What happens if he gets it wrong?" asked Ino.

"We should leave." Sakura said.

"I second that." Naruto joined in.

"But before I do that, I'll give you a little warning. The person you THINK you're in love with might not actually be the person who lies in your heart! The person in your heart...is your soulmate."

"Soulmate?" I heard Sai ask. "That's absurd."

"Why?" Ino responded.

"Because that would mean there is someone you're destined to be with all this time. I don't believe in destiny...right, Naruto?" Sai said.

Naruto leaned around me and fist bumped him.

"Exactly." He agreed.

"Well, the thought of a soulmate is still nice though." Ino said.

"Yeah, for girls who are afraid of being alone for the rest of their lives." I muttered to Naruto.

He snickered.

"Your soulmate will be the one, when all is said and done, wearing on their head, a heart that is blue and not red." The man declared rhythmically.

Suddenly, the lights cut out again.

"They need to stop with the lights." Sakura complained.

"Begin!" he shouted.

The lights turned on again...very dimly. We all looked around at each other.

"What the hell did all that mean?" Naruto asked. "It sounded like a riddle."

Sakura shook her head.

"It's completely straight-forward. It means that you're supposed to see a blue heart on your soulmate's head." She said. "No riddle about it."

I couldn't help but wonder why the man would speak in poetic way if it was just as straight as it sounded. Weren't poems usually used to compress large amounts of information? Naruto looked at me thoughtfully, probably wondering the same thing.

"What do you guys see?" asked Ino.

"Why don't you tell us what YOU see?" Sakura asked.

Ino looked around at all of us and then grinned and hugged Sai.

"Sai has a blue heart right there!" she said, pointing at a spot on his forehead.

"I don't see anything." Naruto replied.

"Of course you don't! Is Sai your soulmate?" Sakura retorted.

"I'd be more than happy to be your soulmate if you're lonely, Naruto." Sai joked.

Everyone laughed, I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Stop saying weird stuff!" Naruto yelled.

"What about you, Sakura?"

It may have been the dimness of the light, but she seemed to blush.

"I don't think it worked for me." She said.

"You didn't even look at everyone!" Ino said.

Sakura sighed and turned to me. She looked at Naruto and then me and Naruto again. I stared into her eyes. She quickly turned away.

"Like I said, I don't think it worked."

_She's...lying. Why is she lying?_

"What about you Sasuke?" Naruto asked me.

Everyone looked at me then. I could've strangled him for drawing so much attention to me. Sakura looked up at me, eyes wide. I looked at every single one of them. At first, I didn't see anything but then slowly, a blue heart became apparent hanging over Sakura's forehead.

I shrugged.

"Nothing."

_This is so stupid. The trick is simple. Clearly, it's just a genjutsu he put over the audience causing you to see a blue heart on whoever you stare at long enough. Of course, the one that you like that way would be the one that you'd stare at the longest. Such an amateur trick..._

Naruto leaned across me and poked Sakura.

"Quit kidding around." He said, grinning at her. "Are you sure it's not me?"

She rolled her eyes and shoved him away from her.

"Why would it be _you_?" she asked.

He grabbed her arm and tugged on her.

"Come on, you didn't even look at me." He said.

_Naruto's not as stupid as he looks, either. He must have figured out the trick behind it and that's why he's trying to get her to look at him for a longer time. She didn't really look at anyone long enough for it to work._

I nudged him.

"Let her go." I said.

He smiled at me sheepishly. Sakura reached over and punched him in the chest.

"Stop grabbing me like you own me."

He sighed and slumped down into his seat. On his other side, Hinata discreetly stood up in the dim light and made her way out.

"Where are you guys going?" I heard Sakura ask.

I turned to my right to see Ino and Sai edging along the row also.

"Ino wants some snacks." Sai replied.

Ino nodded and continued tugging him toward the opposite exit. Sakura sighed.

"They'll be back." I reassured her.

"No, they won't." she said with a soft smile. "There's only _one_ thing Ino wants to snack on right now...and it's going to take a while to unwrap _that_ package."

She started giggling. It took me an extra second to catch on to what she was saying and then I laughed along with her.

"You're pretty funny." I commented.

She stuck her tongue out at me playfully.

I wanted to engage in more conversation with her but there was one final distraction to take care of. I glanced at Naruto who was picking a seam in his pants.

"Did you even notice Hinata left?"

He looked up at me and then looked to his left.

"Whoa..." he said, eyes widening. "When did she leave?!"

"Like five minutes ago." I replied.

He shrugged.

"Probably going to the bathroom, she'll be back."

"I think you should go look for her." I said.

Naruto looked at me and then at Sakura on the other side of me and then looked down. I could tell he got the message loud and clear.

"Fine." He said getting up and leaving.

Sakura leaned over.

"Where is Naruto going?"

"To find Hinata."

She raised her eyebrows.

"Really? Why did she leave?"

"Because he was too busy getting_ your_ attention to notice her." He said. "She most likely felt neglected."

"Wow...he's still on that whole childhood crush thing?" she asked. "I thought he got over that."

I smirked.

"He claims he is but it's glaringly obvious that he just can't get you out of his mind." I said. "It's...kind of sad, too. I feel sorry for him. Imagine what it feels like to have the girl of your dreams so close but so far out of reach."

Sakura looked down.

"Yeah...wouldn't know how that feels at all." She said.

_That sounds kind of sarcastic..._

"But anyway, it sounds like you're gloating." She mumbled.

I looked at her.

"No. Like I said before, I feel sorry for him. I wish he could have what he wants." I protested.

"Meaning...you wish he could have _me_." She clarified.

"In a way." I replied.

Honestly, I felt bad that I had to be between him and her but she it's not like she liked him. She made it painfully clear on multiple occasions that she didn't think of him that way. And when we were kids, she seemed to like me a lot. If she were reciprocating Naruto's feelings, I would leave them both alone...but...she wasn't. Was I really a bad friend for going for her?

"I see." She said, smiling down at her lap.

"See what?" I asked.

The magician had long since been back on the stage doing new tricks causing people to clap and cheer. Our conversation was a million times more interesting to pay attention though.

"Naruto was the one who wanted to come to the magic show, wasn't he?" Sakura asked.

_What?_

She turned to me and I could see that her smile was a thin-lipped bitter one. A fake smile.

"But he was too nervous or something to ask me...so you asked me _for_ him, right?" She accused. "This whole thing...is some kind of ploy to get me to like Naruto... Isn't it?"

_Where the hell did she get that from?_

She took my silence as guilt.

"I should've known." She said. "So right now, telling me about him, is your way of guilt tripping me into going out with him. Right?!"

She seemed like she was getting angry.

"Well, you can just tell Naruto to take his idiotic little plan and shove it up-"

I grabbed her, pulled her close to me, embraced her. I couldn't think of any other way to stop the situation from escalating. Her body was warm in my arms. She pulled away from me...shock spreading across her face.

"W...Wh...wha..." she stammered.

"You're wrong." I said.

"Then..."

"I forced Naruto to come because I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Why would Naruto make me feel _less_ uncomfortable?" she asked me, looking baffled.

_Good question._

"Because if I just invited you here alone then..." I sighed. "You were avoiding me. I thought you were mad at me or something, so the last thing I wanted was for you to think I was asking you out."

"Wait...Sasuke...you're not telling me what I think you are, are you?"

"I was the one who invited you here." I confessed. "As a date."

That completely blew her out of the water. I never thought I'd see her look so confused.

"Sasuke-kun..."

It's been almost two years since I'd heard her call me that... The last time was right after the end of the 4th great ninja war when I announced I'd be coming back to Konoha. Then, she was just like all the other girls who were constantly bugging me. I didn't think anything different of her...but now...

Suddenly, she started laughing. Now it was my turn to look confused.

"What did I...?"

"Sorry!" she said. "I didn't mean to make you feel weird by avoiding you... I just..."

She calmed herself down.

"I felt like...you needed space after I heard about everything that happened to you and why you did the things you did. I felt like...the last thing you needed was a fan girl following you everywhere and bothering you."

She gazed at me. That blue heart still hung in the center of her forehead. I wondered how long that stupid genjutsu would last.

"I guess I just thought if I played it cool, I'd seem more mature to you. And I didn't think you liked me anyway, so-"

I leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. She jolted, obviously surprised but kissed me back.

"Of course, I like you." I whispered to her. "Ms. Play it Cool."

She smiled bashfully. We didn't have to say anything else. Everything was finally clear to us both.

"So...you're the one who picked this crappy venue?" she finally asked.

"Crappy?" I replied.

She blushed.

"Yeah...well...I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, but I hate magic."

"Really? I hate magic, too. I thought you liked it."

"I only agreed to come because I thought_ you_ liked it."

I grabbed her hand.

"Want to leave?"

"Gladly." She agreed.

Naruto

Memory Loss

"Hey, Hinata!" I called.

She was standing on the rooftop of a building across from the magic show tent. From up there, she could see almost the entire village of Konoha. There was an event up there where people paid money to look through binoculars and see the Hokage Mountains up close. It was actually so random; I had to go into sage mode momentarily to find her.

She turned around and smiled at me softly.

"What are you doing all the way up here?"

"Just enjoying the scenery." She said.

It was very pretty up there. There was a married couple across from us that were giggling and looking out of the binoculars.

I walked over to her and sat on the wall next to her.

"Why didn't you tell anyone you were leaving?"

"I didn't want to bother you guys." She said.

"What? You wouldn't bother us." I said.

Hinata shrugged and stayed quiet.

"So...do you want to go back?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"But I thought you liked magic." I said.

"I do." She said. "But...I'd just rather stay up here."

Two options flashed in my head. I could go back alone and see what Sasuke and Sakura were up to or I could stay with her. I didn't even have to think long to make the decision. Sasuke and Sakura had each other but...I'd be leaving Hinata all alone. I'd never do that.

I smiled at her.

"Okay, I'll stay with you." I said.

Surprise crossed her face as I slid down onto the floor and put my back against the balcony wall lining the rooftop. She opted for standing up next to me and looked out at the activities of the carnival.

I watched her from where I sat below. It looked like the front of her hair was blue. I wondered when she'd dyed it that color and made a mental note to ask her later.

I closed my eyes, feeling comfortable enough to sleep.

It was obvious to me why she was standing up there all alone. She was probably still confused about whether she should stay in Konoha or go to that village near the land of the waves with her father and sister.

_Maybe I _should_ tell her what to do... _

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?" I said without opening my eyes.

"Do you remember...what I said to you when we fought against the six paths of Pain?"

"Pain?" I repeated, snapping to attention.

She nodded.

"Hmmm... I remember you coming in to help me... And I remember you trying to pull the pole out of my hands." I said.

She was bleeding...and crying... I remember that much. I remember the desperation...and the rage I felt. The last thing I ever, ever wanted was for her to have to die on my behalf.

"But then...all I could think about was how much I didn't want you to die... How much I wanted to save you... And then the next thing I knew, my Dad came to me in my mind to seal Kurama back up."

"You mean...you don't remember what I said at all?" she asked.

I racked my head. Yeah...she was speaking... She was speaking before Pain made her fly up into the air. But I was already slipping, already losing my grip. My ears were already flooding with the music of screaming rage. All I could grasp now were her lips moving.

"No." I said to her. "I can't remember it."

Hinata

Watching, Wishing, Waiting...

Of course... Of course he didn't remember... He never mentioned it. Never even looked at me like I had told him something so precious. The rage of the nine tails blocked his memory of everything that had happened before he transformed. Of course.

_But now I'm in a bad situation..._

_Every time I see him trying to get Sakura's attention and ignoring me, it hurts. I wish I could tell him how much it really does hurt me but how could I? How could I ruin that for him? That ignorance he has...is bliss. He'd be better off...not knowing of my pain._

"Hinata?"

_At the same time, I have to try. I can't go on like this... Watching, wishing waiting... It's too much. And besides...we share the same pain, don't we?_

"Hinata?"

_But telling him would change everything... Because as much as I try to pretend like what Kurenai sensei told me will work, I know there's a possibility it couldn't. She told me that a confused guy like Naruto will fall for me if he's aware of my feelings. But what if his love for Sakura is stronger than that?_

"Hinata?!"

"Huh?" I said looking down at him.

He was tugging on my hand. He patted the floor next to him.

"Sit down with me." He said.

_Here, it starts..._

I folded my legs under myself and took the seat next to him.

"You seem distracted."

"I do?"

"Yeah. I asked you a question."

"You did?"

He smiled and nodded. I smiled back bashfully.

"Sorry."

"It's alright." He said. "I was just wondering... What did you tell me?"

_Oh no..._

"Before...during the Pain fight..." he clarified. "What did you say?"

_Lie or tell the truth? Lie or tell the truth? Wait...who am I kidding? I was never good at lying!_

"Well...I...uhm..."

_There's no way I can tell him. The only reason I told him then was because I thought I was going to die!_

"I...I said..."

He was staring at me, waiting for my words.

_This...can't be any worse. There's no way I can tell him._

I felt my cheeks burning red.

_There's absolutely no way..._

My fingers began trembling. I looked down, unable to keep eye contact.

"I actually...forgot." I lied.

"Really?"

I kept my eyes locked on the ground and nodded.

"That sucks." He said. "I'm getting this really strong feeling that it was important now."

_Maybe all this is pointless. Maybe I should just forget about being with Naruto that way. It's nice enough, just being his friend, getting a chance to sit close to him._

"You know, Hinata, I feel like we're a lot alike." He suddenly spoke up.

"R-Really?" I asked looking over at him.

He nodded.

"Yeah, we're both in a really dumb situation with the people we're in love with." He said, snickering.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hopefully, the guy you like realizes how much of an idiot he is." He said, standing up and brushing the dirt off of his pants. "You're too pretty for him."

I looked up at him with wide eyes.

"You think...I'm pretty?" I asked.

He nodded and threw his hands behind his head.

"Yeah!" he said. "You're beautiful."

He turned around and jumped up onto the ledge of the rooftop.

"And you know what I think?" he asked with his back to me.

"W-What?" I asked.

"I think it'll probably be better for you to leave with your father." He said. "That way, you can start fresh...and find a new guy to fall in love with."

He turned to me then, smiling widely. I stared at him.

_But...Naruto...that's..._

"Anyway, I'm going to catch up to Sakura-chan and the rest." He said. "You should go home... It's getting late."

_Sakura again?_

I nodded slowly.

"I will."

He smiled, hopped off of the ledge and bounded back toward the carnival.

_Hopefully by the time I get home I can convince myself to forget about Naruto that way..._

_He's just a friend... Just a friend... Just a friend..._

But it didn't help that the entire time he was sitting there next to me, he had a bright blue heart positioned right in the center of his forehead for only my eyes to see.

Can there really be another boy, in another land, waiting to fall in love with me?

Naruto

I really AM an Idiot

It didn't take long to find Sakura and Sasuke at all. When Sasuke's smiling, he draws crowds, no joke. There were SWARMS of girls following them.

"Hey, guys!" I said catching up to them.

"I'm really about to bust some heads." Sakura said cracking her knuckles.

A nearby girl stuck her tongue out at Sakura and Sakura turned pulling her fist back. Sasuke stopped her.

"Ignore the flies..." he muttered.

We continued walking until the carnival was far behind us and the majority of the "flies" disappeared.

Sakura, as though she just remembered I was there, turned to me.

"So where's Hinata?" she asked.

I shrugged.

"I told her to go home." I said. "She was hanging up on top of the roof top, I think she's upset about something."

Sakura sighed.

"You mean, you _left_ her?" she asked.

"Yeah...it's not like I'm her baby sitter or anything." I said. "Besides, I was more concerned about y-"

Sakura reached out to me, I thought she was going to hit me so I cringed but she cupped my cheek in her hand and she pulled me closer to her. I couldn't help but blush. She stared steadily into my eyes. Hand sliding down my neck.

"Naruto..." she began. "I'm _really_ grateful for all the attention you've giving me but I thought I told you-"

I backed away, pushing her hand away from me.

"I know." I said looking down.

"It's just that you're so distracted, you're not even realizing what's right in front of you!" she exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" I mumbled.

But I didn't really wait for the answer, I stuffed my hands into my pocket and walked a couple of paces ahead of them.

"Obviously, I'm talking about Hinata!" Sakura exclaimed, grabbing me by the collar.

I paused, my back still to them.

"What? No... You're crazy."

"No, _you're_ an idiot." Sasuke said. "It's obvious that she likes you."

I turned to him, finally, taking them seriously.

"You're...serious?"

"Of course. Why the hell would she go to a couples night with you if she didn't like you?" Sasuke asked me.

"Well...for the same reason that..."

I was going to say "for the same reason that Sakura went with you" but just then, Sakura slid her hand into his and Sasuke leaned against her. Clearly, they had progressed farther than friends while I was absent.

_That answer basically just committed suicide..._

"She was upset tonight because you were completely neglecting her. You were acting like you didn't even come here with her." Sakura told me.

"No...no...she likes...someone else. She even told me..."

My mind spiraled back to the conversation we'd had sitting on the hillside.

"_Yeah...there's...a boy I like but...the problem is that, he's so worried about another girl...he doesn't even notice me. Even when I'm sitting right next to him." She confessed._

"_Even when I'm sitting right next to him."_

"_...right next to him."_

With the clarification of that memory, came another memory...

"_I stand by what I say...because...it's my ninja way..."_

And then the other memory... She was standing in front of me. I was pinned down by Pain's poles, ready to die. The fear in my heart was almost weighing me down, like I was back there again. I had asked her why. Why was she sacrificing her life for me? And she turned to me, all smiles...

"_Because...I love you, Naruto."_

"Oh my god..."

"_...he's so worried about another girl..."_

"All this time..." I whispered.

"_...he doesn't even notice me."_

"...All this time!?" I exclaimed.

"_Even when I'm sitting right next to him."_

My shirt and pants fluttered with the chakra pulsing through them. I lit up the alleyway we were standing in like a bright orange-ish yellow flash-light.

"I need to get to her...fast." I told them. "Hopefully, she forgives me."

_But dammit, I'm an idiot! I'm really an idiot! I just told her to..._

"_I think you should leave with your father..."_

_Dammit!_

"_...find a new guy to fall in love with!"_

_No! Wait for me!_

I bounded off, running so quickly, I was nothing but a yellow flash.

"Just like that guy to waste chakra so thoughtlessly..." I heard Sasuke mutter.

I didn't care. I could sense out her chakra. I knew that she was almost home. I wanted to catch her before she went there. If she went home and started packing, I knew it would be game over...

I swooped down over one of the newly build apartment complexes, the exact one Sasuke and I shared a room in, and was surprised to see Hinata sitting down on the mat right in front of my door.

I was so shocked. I lost control of my chakra and went back into my regular form. I jumped off the top of a nearby roof and landed firmly on the concrete next to her.

She stood up, looking startled.

"I have something to tell you." We both said at the same time.

I shook my head.

"Uh...ladies first."

She looked down at the ground.

"I was going to go home...like you said, Naruto but I...I couldn't..."

She took a deep breath.

_It seems like she's going to say something important._

"I couldn't because... I don't want to give up before even trying." She said. "The truth is that I...Naruto...I...really..."

I grasped her hand and pulled her close to me. I saw the confusion in her face momentarily before I put my arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I remember." I told her. "I remember your confession now."

She buried her face in my chest. I smiled and stroked her hair.

"Hinata, I'm an idiot... I'm SO stupid." I said. "Please forgive me... I don't want you to leave."

She held me tighter.

"I forgive you." I heard her whisper.

"But I want to know...why didn't you try to get me to remember sooner?" I asked her.

"Because...you liked Sakura...I thought that if I told you...it'd ruin our friendship."

I laughed and pulled back to look at her face.

"I did like Sakura, I mean, I still do." I said.

She began to look disappointed.

"But now that I know how you feel, I realize that...I've always liked you, too." I admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, all this time I was looking for a girl that I could be honest with and trust and care for...and you've always been there, Hinata. Right by my side. Right when I needed you the most." I said.

"Really?" she asked.

"Of course!" I said. "Remember when you were going to let me cheat off you during the chunin exams test and when you gave me encouragement against Obito and Madara."

"That was just...little stuff...when we were kids." She said. "You gave me encouragement then, too."

I slowly slid my thumb down her cheek.

"Well, let me put it into perspective..." I told her. "You almost gave your life for me... On multiple occasions. Honestly, if it wasn't for you, I might not be standing here."

My thumb reached her lips.

"You've been like my guardian angel, Hinata. And...I'm such an idiot, it's taken me until just now to realize that."

I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When I pulled back, I saw that her face became a vibrant shade of red. She seemed lost in a world I'd never be able to see. My eyes shifted from her face to her hair.

I could've smacked myself in the forehead.

She didn't dye her hair blue. It was the blue heart. It had been there... All that time it was there...waiting for me to notice it, just like Hinata.

Sakura

Reconnecting

It was late that night. Sasuke and I took a long walk around the village. It had been about three hours since Naruto ran away from us looking for Hinata. We were just talking. Remembering who we used to be, trying to reflect on how we changed.

"I have a question." I told him.

"I'm listening."

"Back when you left the village for the first time...and I told you I loved you, to try to make you stay with me...you said 'thank you'." I recounted. "Why did you say that?"

He slid his hands into his pockets and looked toward a dinner that was open late next to us.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't remember?" he asked with a soft smile.

_This new humor of his... It's nice. _

I smiled back and nudged him.

"No." I said lightly.

He sighed.

"Okay, well... I was a pretty lonely boy." he said. "I said 'thank you' because, deep inside, I was glad to know that someone in this gigantic village actually cared enough for me to try to stop me."

I gave him a funny smile.

"But Naruto and Kakashi really cared about you." I pointed out.

"That's true. However, you were _in love_ with me." he clarified. "It's a lot more notable."

We walked past the little shops which were closing up for the night. People were locking their doors and closing their gates. In the windows of tall houses, parents could be seen reading their children to sleep.

"Can I ask you a question now?" he spoke up.

I turned to him.

_And now he's actually interested in me... Will I ever stop being surprised?_

I nodded.

"When did you start loving me? Like how you confessed then?" he asked.

A soft smile spread across my lips.

"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't remember?"

He smiled back.

"I might but...isn't this the kind of thing girls remember?"

I shrugged, my mind slowly wafting into the past.

"Well, I'd like to say it was for as long as I can remember." She said. "But...when I liked you as a little girl, it was honestly just admiration. I was attracted to your fame."

"Humph." He muttered. "Figures."

"But, as we began to do things as team 7, I started to feel like I really, really wanted to get to know the real you..." I told him. "During the chunin exams, I realized there was another side to you. A side that I didn't know about. I wanted to be there for you."

His eyes were locked onto me, feeding into my every word.

"So, I think it was probably when we fought Orochimaru for the first time...and you got the curse mark, and you started acting differently." I told him. "I was so worried about you and...during that entire thing, I wouldn't have thought twice about giving my life for you. That was when I knew."

He smiled.

"Remind me to thank that asshole snake for that later." He said.

We were nearing the apartment he shared with Naruto. I hadn't realized it but we had been steadily walking there. My house that I shared with my parents was almost all the way across the village.

"You want to come over for a while?" he asked, easily. "Or should I walk you home?"

_Wasn't Ino always saying 'never go home with a guy on the first date'? Nah, this is Sasuke. This is completely different. He's not that kind of guy._

"Sure, I'll come over." I said.

As we walked up the steps, he turned to me.

"You know, in some ways, I actually am thankful to that bastard for luring me out of Konoha." He said. "I probably wouldn't be the person I am today otherwise."

"What? Like more mature? Or more insightful?" I asked.

"No." he replied, as he used the key to unlock the door. "I probably wouldn't be with you like this otherwise."

A warm fluttery feeling danced around my stomach. I couldn't stop beaming, so I pretended to look for something in my purse.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I asked.

"Exactly." He said. "I've been living with Naruto for a year now and I've never come home to a quiet house before."

"Aw, poor guy." I said. "Do you think he couldn't find Hinata in time?"

Sasuke was starring down at the floor in front of him. Suddenly, he shook his head and smirked.

"Of course." He muttered.

I leaned around him and then raised my eyebrows in surprise. Naruto's shoes were in the same place they usually were, flung carelessly around the front part of the apartment, but right next to one shoe were Hinata's sandals lined up neatly.

I rolled my eyes.

"I can't believe I was going to feel sorry for that guy!" I exclaimed.

We both lined our shoes up next to Hinata's and proceeded into the den. Naruto's door which was directly across from Sasuke's on the other side of the den was closed and the light was off.

_Well, this is setting up an awkward atmosphere... Leave it to Naruto to ruin my date even when he's not present. Though he was A LOT worse when we were kids. Then again, I was worse then, too..._

"What are you smiling about?"

I looked at him with wide eyes, not even realizing I had been smiling.

"Oh, I was just thinking about when we were kids and I used to try to get you alone with me all the time." I said. "Then, I would've never believed it could be _this_ easy."

He picked an apple up off the table, it had a large bite taken out of it. Probably the work of Naruto.

"As a kid, even if I had an opportunity to get to know you like this one staring me straight in the face, I probably wouldn't have taken it." He said. "I was so self-centered."

I scoffed.

"Please. I was the epitome of self-centered." I told him. "It took me a LONG time to really want to understand who the _real_ Sasuke Uchiha was. Initially, I just wanted a 'cool guy' to notice me so I could prove to myself that I was prettier than Ino."

He laughed.

"Really?" he asked. "You needed proof? You're beautiful."

I blushed, looking away from him.

"You're so different now." I said. "The things you say, the way you smile and laugh... I don't know. It's like...you're some whole other person."

"That's not true. I still scowl at Naruto the same way." He protested.

I laughed.

"Naruto consistently brings out the worst in everyone around him." I remarked.

It was silent for a while. He tossed the apple into the garbage next to the couch.

"Does the new me bother you?" he asked.

I thought about it for a long time.

"Not really." I finally answered. "You're open...and honest...and I can tell that you have my best interests at heart."

He watched me as I spoke.

"Before, you were closed off and aloof and...it was difficult to tell whether you liked us all or whether you were just using us for you own ambitions."

He nodded.

"That's true. As a child, I convinced myself that all the people around me were just pawns I was using to defeat Itachi or Danzo or whoever was on my hit list, but..."

He pressed his hands together and looked at me through the strands of his hair.

"It was all a lie." He confessed. "Karin, Jugo...Suigetsu...and even Orochimaru... I depended on all of them, I needed all of them...I often thought of all of them like...family."

"And Team 7, too?"

"Especially Team 7." He whispered. "There...honestly wasn't anything more precious to me than you guys...ever."

We stared at each other and I could see nothing but pleading in his eyes. And behind that pleading, there was pain...immense pain...

_Is he still...?_

"Sakura, I never got a chance to say this before, but..." he began. "I'm sorry."

He was still looking at me through his bangs that swooped across his forehead.

"I'm really, really sorry for...everything that I did to you, all the pain I put you through. It must've been hell...thinking about me...losing sleep... All because of me."

Those beautifully dark eyes...they begged me to trust him again.

I brushed his hair back and pressed my lips to his forehead. Then I slowly pulled back and gazed at him, our faces were inches from each other.

"I forgave you for that ages ago, Sasuke-kun." I told him.

_Don't feel any more pain over this..._

"I just want you to forgive yourself."

He looked away.

"Sometimes I don't know if that's possible." He said. "I know I've done...way too much to be forgiven."

I pulled his chin back toward me and he reluctantly faced me.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Sasuke." I told him. "That's what life is all about. Falling down...and trying again."

I stroked his hair and pulled the strands away from his eyes.

"You're strong, Sasuke." I told him. "Not because you avoided falling down, but because you fell down and still choose to get back up."

He leaned into me then and kissed me.

_Twice in a day, huh? That makes it official. I must be dreaming..._

He pulled back quickly.

"Thank you, Sakura..." he whispered.

Sasuke

The Morning After

"So, how was your night?" I asked Naruto as he stumbled into the kitchen.

"Eh, it was alright."

Hinata's shoes were gone by the time I woke up.

"Just 'alright'?" I asked.

"Since when do you care about my life?" he asked me.

He grabbed a carton of milk from the refrigerator and then smiled.

"What about you?" he asked.

_Play dumb..._

"What are you talking about?" I said, spreading the newspaper out in front of me.

"I woke up late last night and saw Sakura's purse on the couch. Was she here?" Naruto mussed.

"Was Hinata here?" I retorted.

We both stared at each other for a second longer and, at the same time, we both decided to drop the bullshit.

"How far did you get with her?" Naruto asked the same time I asked: "What did you guys do?"

We paused and then shook our heads. Naruto beamed.

"Nothing happened." He said. "We just talked and then we ended up falling asleep."

"Same thing with us."

Well, not exactly...a quite a bit of stuff happened between taking and falling asleep but I wasn't going to tell Naruto all of that. Knowing him, he'd turn the whole thing into a competition.

"You know what's weird?" Naruto said suddenly.

I looked up from the paper. He was staring at the milk carton in his hand and then took a swig. I resisted the urge to tell him to keep his filthy mouth off of public items.

"Hinata told me that she saw a blue heart over my head immediately." Naruto recounted. "But it took me almost a full two hours after I left the tent to see a blue heart on Hinata."

"Yeah..." I agreed. "I got the truth out of Sakura that she'd actually seen a heart on me immediately and just lied about it. It took me a while to see a heart on her."

"I was thinking that it was just a trick where..."

"Whoever you stare at the longest gets the heart?" I finished for him. "Yeah, me too. Maybe that magician's more complex than we thought. In any case, what does it matter?"

"Well, the whole point of the entire show was to show you who your soulmate was and have you fall in love with them, right?" he asked.

I nodded then scoffed.

"Wait, you're not suggesting-"

"Maybe it worked!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's ridiculous!" I said. "He was just a skilled genjutsu user. I could've done his job...and probably done it better."

"But think about it!" Naruto protested. "I was staring at Sakura that whole night but Hinata, who I was completely ignoring, gets the heart? And then we ended up patching up our relationship...just like the flier said we would!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." Naruto said as he walked over to the front door. "I'm just saying...pretty crazy coincidence."

I rolled my eyes.

He slipped his shoes on and grabbed the front door handle.

"By the way, Hinata's moving in with us!" he shouted, before slamming the door closed.

"WHAT?!" I exclaimed.

The vibration from the front door slamming knocked a glass over on the table. I picked the glass up and noticed the same flier from yesterday pinned under it.

The big purple Rinnegan eyes that the magician had the night before was on the flier. They stared out at me. Like they were begging me to listen...

_Come one, come all, to the Sage of the Six Paths Perfect Magic Show!_

I shook my head, balled up the flier, and threw it into the trashcan.

"Absurd." I muttered to myself. "There's no such thing as magic..."

THE END...?


End file.
